Steering mechanism



March 1945- G. G. MONAMARA, JR

5 TEERING MECHANI SM Filed Aug. 31, 1942 w W m a 6 Patented Mar. 20, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCE STEERING MECHANISM Gordon G, McNamara, Jr., Chicago, I'll'., assignor' to International: Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey v Application. August .31, 1942,: Serial No 456,774

3 Gl'aims: (01. 280-3355)- v This invention relates to. arsteering; mechanism and. more. particularly; tosuch mechanism for a trailing vehicle or similarwagom The: invention is especially applicable to trailer vehicles for the purpose: on providing ,adiustment terhesteeri-ns mechanism otsuch vehicles... One

of the problems heretofore: encounteredand: now obviated by the present invention consists, in. the adj stment of. the. draft tongueof, the trailing vehicle. so. that. the trailing-f vehicle properly "tracks with respect to thezdraitvehiclel. Commercial trailers oi the tyneFncw-ltnown are provided with automobile-type steerinameans: con.- sistina dis a transverse. tieerod connected in. the usual manner to steering arms onthe-respective wheels. Thad-raft tongue. is, suitably iHtEI-TGOIl-r .nected with theltie-rod. so that. thewheels; are steerectto. iollow the draft. vehicle. Misalinement oi; the drafttongue-with respectto thestraile-r' trams. nd-steerablawheels; results; in a failure of. trailer; to follow the drattvehicla in proper alinemcnttherewith,

Line,- principal: object. of the -presentv; invention is. tQrBKQl/idfi: improsed steering meansfor a. ve.- hicla, and; particularly for a: vehicle of the. trailer For the purposes, of illustration and description, the invention has; been illustrated as embodied. fOl1lSe.. iI"L a. trailing. vehicle.- As shown in Eigure1,this:vehicle includes aframe or body l os having; atransverse front-1 axle bolster H, at the opposite ends oiv which are carried steerable front wheels. l2... Each: Wheel. is carried. on a spindle including a. king. pin ti. mounted. on ,a vertical axis. Each king pin and spindle; may form a. knuckle of any conventional type. To each knuckle. isconnected a iorwardly extending. steeringharm' 114 andthese arms are: crossconnected by tie-rod means. l5. In. the present instance, the tie-rod comprises: a pair. oitic-rod parts or bars l6 and Ft. The rod; or bar lliispivotally connected to the. right-hand, steering arm by means ofadjustable connecting meansindicated generally at. 18., 'Ifheleft-handtie-rodbar is, pivotally; connected to the left-hand; steering arm Ht bysa-i similar means. IS; The details of these connectingcmeans will be; described below.

The trailer further includes-aforwardly ex.- tend-ingdrait-tongue. or member 20, pivotally connected at its rear. end-by. apinlt to a bracket 22 on; the: front axle bolster l The. draft tongue includes. a. portion 232 including. atpivotal connection 24, by meansof which thetie-rodparts t6 and Hare connectedto. the tongue; The connesting means I8, I19; and- Zkare. substantially liiaurev l. is. a plan view of, theirontportionl ct a trailing vehicle embodying-a 'prefsrrediorm of the. invention;

Figure 2. is an. enlarged. plan. view. otTjapair oft .and not limiting.

similar; anda description of one willsufiice for a description-oi? allr. The following description refers to therightnhandconnection l8.

As'best 1 shownin- Figures-.2 and 4, the. tie-rod, part, It is provided with a; vertical cylindrical bore or-opening, 25;. the steering arm- M: is provided'. 'witlri a larger. cylindrical: opening, or bore. 28s The. parts M and, I8 are pivotally connected together by a securing; element in the form at ab'olt:2l having a; threaded shankportion- 28; a lug. portion 29; ofiset radially from the axis at the' shank '28, and a head 311,. preterably in. the form-oi ayhexagonor-anyl other. many-sided portiom. a

"The bolt 2:Lis passed..throughthe openings 26. and2-5 in the parts. MT and I6, respectively; A nut 34 is threadedyon the shanls 28, and. a. pair of; washers 3.2 completes. the. assembly.; The shank. 2L8. :pre.ierab1 fits. the opening lasnugly and: is rotatable, therein when the nut-3L! is loose ened as will hereinafter.- appear... The eccentrically arrangedhor offset.- lug portion 28 similarly snugly fitsz the opening. 26 inthe part. L4,, and

the. head. 30. a propriately. engages the upper surface of thesteering arm. 14..

. Adjustment between. the parts bland, I5. is. accomplished. by aloosening of the nut. 31 and a subsequent rotation of the bolt 21; It will be noted that this may be achieved-without the removal of the bolt from its associated parts. Be-

cause of the eccentricity of the lug 29 with reillustrated, such adjustment may be for the purpose of adjusting the toe-in of the right-hand wheel 12. A similar adjustment of the left-hand;

left-hand wheel l2. v The connection 24 between the tie-rod parts I6 and I7 and the draft tongue 20 is substantially identical to that described, except that the bolt in this instance is suificiently long to accommodate the two bars l6 and I1. Adjustment in this instance permits transverse swinging of the draft tongue 20 with respect to the tie-rod 15, the draft tongue swinging about the pivot pin 2l on the front axle bolster l I of the trailer. Consequently, the angle assumed by the draft-tongue with respect to the trailer frame and tie-rod may be varied, so that the trailer will properly track with respect to the draft vehicle. It is to be noted that the adjustment of the connection 24 does not in any way affect the alinement or toe-in of the wheels l2. v

Another important feature of the invention is the means by which the adjustable conections l 8, 19, or 24 may be locked. The following description-pertains to this look, it being remembered that the lock is the same in any one of the connecting means 3, I9, or 24.

As best shown in Figure 5, the lock comprises a lockingplate 33 formed with a hexagonal opening 34 and an arcuate slot 35. The opening 34 is of a size and shape adapted to fit or engage the head 30 of the bolt 21. The arcuate slot 35 is preferably formed'about the axis of the opening 34.

As shown in Eigures'2 and 4, the plate 33 is fitted over the connection 18, so that the open ing 34 in the plate engages the head 30 in the bolt 2']. The slotted portion of the plate 33 overlies the upper surface of the'steering arm 14, the slot being engaged by' a set-screw or equivalent threaded member 36 carried by the steering arm. The plate 33 also serves to provide means by which the bolt 2'! may be moved angularly. Adjustment of the bolt is accom-' plished by a loosening of the stud 36 and a loosening of the nut 3| on the bolt 21, followed by moving of the plate 33 to either side as desired. The slot 35 permits a, limited amount of angular movement of the plate 33 and bolt 21. In most cases it will be found that a slight amount of movement will accomplish the'adjustment required. After this adjustment is effected, the stud 36 and nut 31 may be tightened. e a 4 In the event that additional adjustment of the bolt 21 is required, the plate 33 may be temporarily removed and reassembled, with the opening 34 assuming a different position with respect to the head 30 of the bolt. Sucha result is obtainable because of the plurality of possible engagements between the sides of the hexagonal head 30 and opening 34. Consequently, the bolt 21 may be rotated with respect to the steering arm 14 and tie-rod part I6 through a full-360 degrees. thus affording maximum adjustment.

It will be seenfrom the-foregoing description that there has been provided a simple adjusting means providing foradjustment between either the steering arms and the tie-rod, or the tie-rod connection I9 may effect a similar result in the p wheels I2 may be adjusted with respect to the tie-rod parts without disturbing the connection 24 between the tie-rod and draft tongue. An important feature of the invention lies in the arrangement which permits any or all of these adjustr nents to be made without necessitating a Another import-.

complete disassembly of parts.

ant feature of the invention is the locking means,

particularly the provision that enables the looking plate to be moved to a plurality of positions with respect to the head of the adjusting bolt 2'1. Other features and advantages will undoubted- 1y suggest themselves to those versed in the art, as will certain changesof construction, it being understood, however, that the foregoing description and illustration relate to only a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which numerous modifications and alterations maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vehicle having a frame, a pair of transversely spaced wheels; a pair of means respectively mounting the wheels on transversely spaced, vertical axes for steering; a pair of steering arms respectively connected to the wheels; a transverse tie-rod; a pair of eccentric adjustment means respectively connecting the tie-rod at its opposite ends to the steering arms; a draft member; means mounting the draft member on the frame for swinging movement transversely of the frame; and means connecting'the draft member to the tie-rod for steering the wheels, said means including an eccentric adjustable connec- 40 tion for transverse adjustment of the draft member with respect to the tie-rod independently of adjustment of the tie-rod with respect to the steering arms.

2. In a vehicle having a frame, a pair of trans versely spaced steerable wheels, a pair of means respectively mounting the wheels on transversely spaced, vertical axes for steering, a pair'of steering arms respectively connected to the wheels,

. a pair of transverse tie rods joined centrally of the pairof wheels by an eccentric adjusting means, other eccentric adjusting means respectively connecting each of the tie rods at their opposite ends to, the steering arms, whereby three separate independent eccentric adjustments are provided. Y 3, In avehicle having a frame, a pair of transversely spaced steerable wheels, a pair of means respectively mounting the wheels on transverse- 'ly spaced, vertical axes for steering, a pair of GORDON G. MCNAMARA, JRL" j 

